FORMULA VEE ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND
NEWS
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Round 4: Title Battle Intensifies
Event: FVAQ Round 4 | 29-30 August 2009
Location: CAMS State Championship | Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick
Author: Tim Hamilton | FVAQ Media
30 August 2009 | Press Release
Images: Digital Realism | www.digitalrealism.com.au
Title rivals: Shane Hart leads Paul Manteit.
The penultimate round of the 2009 Championship saw intensity levels reaching breaking point. Title aspirants Shane Hart and Paul Manteit resumed the battle for supremacy, with Hart narrowly extending his lead ahead of the final round in November.
Manteit took advantage early, claiming pole and winning an incident packed opening race aboard the Volks Engineering Rapier. Eager to begin, Hart and Mike Smith had jumped the start in Race 1, earning drive through penalties. Rookie Clinton Leibinger spun at Turn 1, causing the Safety Car to be deployed while the beached car was removed. The delay gave Hart and Smith a 'get-out-of-jail-free' blessing, bringing them back into podium contention.
Hart fought back in Sunday mornings Race 2 to win by just 0.43sec from Manteit. Hart exploited exceptional starts in his Mick Motors Jacer to build early buffers, forcing Manteit to give chase rather than attack. The afternoons final Race 3 again saw Hart gradually extend the gap, negating a late charge from Manteit.
After much drama and conflict for both title aspirants, this could prove to be the championship defining round for Hart. But anything can happen in motorsport... and with one round remaining it's sure to be a title showdown. The Queensland Formula Vee Championship concludes at Morgan Park on November 7-8. Formula Vees will also be racing at Queensland Raceway on October 3-4 in a non-championship event.
HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS FROM ROUND 4:
- FRIDAY PRACTICE - The excitement of a new engine for Mike Smith turned to anxiety when his oil-filter expired ontrack. Leaving a river of oil and causing considerable delay, many crews lost valuable setup time. Thankfully the engine wasn't damaged and Smith continued to race another day.
+ QUALIFYING: Manteit showed pace to burn, returning to pole form last seen at Round 1. Hart was 2nd, lamenting having to run unscrubbed new tyres, wasting 8 laps before they generated any decent pace. Top 4 only 1.1sec apart, encouraging for Mike Smith and Paul Kellaway.
+ QUALIFYING: Debut rookie Craig Hughes placed 7th, just ahead of Dave Boulton and Andrew Moran by 0.29sec! Solid debut!
- RACE 1: Hart and Smith jump the start. Drive-through penality, until...
- / + RACE 1: Rookie Clinton Leibinger straddles Turn 1 ripple strip, causing Safety-Car for recovery. Brings Hart and Smith back into podium contention.
- Bruce Acheson excluded post Race 1 for technical infringement. Allowed to start Rear of Grid (ROG) for remaining races... and recovers to 5th!
+ Paul Kellaway and Mike Smith enjoyed a weekend-long battle for the final podium. If not for lacking just 1 second in pace, both would be outright contenders...
- RACE 3: Andrew Moran sidelined by mis-firing engine, pitty as it was his most competitve racing to date. Well done, better luck next time!
+ 1200s: Stephen Riley obliterated the 1200 class, and was a credible 5th, 6th and 6th outright! Leader Dave Boulton gathered a decent points haul over absent rival Kent Cross, who was attending the Formula BMW Scholarship in Malaysia.
+ HISTORIC GROUP V: Bob Roberts re-affirms his place at top with 3 convincing class wins... but Graeme Clark wasn't too far behind. The Dons in-separatable again.... Len wins 'family shield' 2-1 over Alan. Inspired run from Jim Waugh in Race 1, shadowing the Dons'.
+ WELCOME BACK: Stephen Riley returned for his once-a-year bashing, blitzing the 1200cc class and even a few 1600s. Graeme Clark returned aboard Mike Russell's Concept GS82, now converted to Historic Group V specs.
+ ROOKIES: VW Magazine Australia editor/head-honcho Craig Hughes was amongst the thick of the mid-field. Clinton Leibinger continued to learn the ropes... or is that the kerbs?
After a pole and win, Manteits weekend deteriorated.
Competition across the field was tight. Rookie Craig Hughes (#22) impressed on MPR debut.
Event: FVAQ Round 4 | 29-30 August 2009
Location: CAMS State Championship | Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick
Author: Tim Hamilton | FVAQ Media
30 August 2009 | Press Release
Images: Digital Realism | www.digitalrealism.com.au
Title rivals: Shane Hart leads Paul Manteit.
The penultimate round of the 2009 Championship saw intensity levels reaching breaking point. Title aspirants Shane Hart and Paul Manteit resumed the battle for supremacy, with Hart narrowly extending his lead ahead of the final round in November.
Manteit took advantage early, claiming pole and winning an incident packed opening race aboard the Volks Engineering Rapier. Eager to begin, Hart and Mike Smith had jumped the start in Race 1, earning drive through penalties. Rookie Clinton Leibinger spun at Turn 1, causing the Safety Car to be deployed while the beached car was removed. The delay gave Hart and Smith a 'get-out-of-jail-free' blessing, bringing them back into podium contention.
Hart fought back in Sunday mornings Race 2 to win by just 0.43sec from Manteit. Hart exploited exceptional starts in his Mick Motors Jacer to build early buffers, forcing Manteit to give chase rather than attack. The afternoons final Race 3 again saw Hart gradually extend the gap, negating a late charge from Manteit.
After much drama and conflict for both title aspirants, this could prove to be the championship defining round for Hart. But anything can happen in motorsport... and with one round remaining it's sure to be a title showdown. The Queensland Formula Vee Championship concludes at Morgan Park on November 7-8. Formula Vees will also be racing at Queensland Raceway on October 3-4 in a non-championship event.
HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS FROM ROUND 4:
- FRIDAY PRACTICE - The excitement of a new engine for Mike Smith turned to anxiety when his oil-filter expired ontrack. Leaving a river of oil and causing considerable delay, many crews lost valuable setup time. Thankfully the engine wasn't damaged and Smith continued to race another day.
+ QUALIFYING: Manteit showed pace to burn, returning to pole form last seen at Round 1. Hart was 2nd, lamenting having to run unscrubbed new tyres, wasting 8 laps before they generated any decent pace. Top 4 only 1.1sec apart, encouraging for Mike Smith and Paul Kellaway.
+ QUALIFYING: Debut rookie Craig Hughes placed 7th, just ahead of Dave Boulton and Andrew Moran by 0.29sec! Solid debut!
- RACE 1: Hart and Smith jump the start. Drive-through penality, until...
- / + RACE 1: Rookie Clinton Leibinger straddles Turn 1 ripple strip, causing Safety-Car for recovery. Brings Hart and Smith back into podium contention.
- Bruce Acheson excluded post Race 1 for technical infringement. Allowed to start Rear of Grid (ROG) for remaining races... and recovers to 5th!
+ Paul Kellaway and Mike Smith enjoyed a weekend-long battle for the final podium. If not for lacking just 1 second in pace, both would be outright contenders...
- RACE 3: Andrew Moran sidelined by mis-firing engine, pitty as it was his most competitve racing to date. Well done, better luck next time!
+ 1200s: Stephen Riley obliterated the 1200 class, and was a credible 5th, 6th and 6th outright! Leader Dave Boulton gathered a decent points haul over absent rival Kent Cross, who was attending the Formula BMW Scholarship in Malaysia.
+ HISTORIC GROUP V: Bob Roberts re-affirms his place at top with 3 convincing class wins... but Graeme Clark wasn't too far behind. The Dons in-separatable again.... Len wins 'family shield' 2-1 over Alan. Inspired run from Jim Waugh in Race 1, shadowing the Dons'.
+ WELCOME BACK: Stephen Riley returned for his once-a-year bashing, blitzing the 1200cc class and even a few 1600s. Graeme Clark returned aboard Mike Russell's Concept GS82, now converted to Historic Group V specs.
+ ROOKIES: VW Magazine Australia editor/head-honcho Craig Hughes was amongst the thick of the mid-field. Clinton Leibinger continued to learn the ropes... or is that the kerbs?
After a pole and win, Manteits weekend deteriorated.
Competition across the field was tight. Rookie Craig Hughes (#22) impressed on MPR debut.
